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Market slips after rally as housing sputters (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Wall Street dipped on Thursday as housing and financial stocks declined after weaker-than-expected housing data gave investors reason to pause after a recent rally.

Housing-related stocks declined after data showed sales of new single-family homes fell for the first time in four months in December and were shy of Wall Street expectations. The data followed Wednesday’s soft pending home sales report and dented optimism that the housing market may have reached a bottom.

Traders said the market’s surprising advance at the start of 2012 meant investors are paying close attention to economic reports that differed from the trend of an improving recovery.

“They are paying attention to everything, with the market up where it is right now. For the fire to continue burning, you need more fuel,” said Uri Landesman, president at Platinum Partners in New York

Stocks began higher, helped in part by the Federal Reserve’s vow on Wednesday to keep interest rates near zero at least until the end of 2014. Investors bet more money would be driven into risky assets, contributing to a rise in the benchmark S&P index of more than 5 percent for the year.

Toll Brothers Inc (TOL.N) lost 3.2 percent to $22.47. The PHLX housing sector index (.HGX) declined 1.1 percent. Banks, which stand to benefit from a recovery in housing, also fell. The KBW Bank index (.BKX) dropped 1.8 percent. SunTrust Banks Inc (STI.N) shed 5.2 percent to $20.50 after Deutsche Bank lowered its rating on the stock.

Stocks rose at the start of the session after data showed orders for durable manufactured goods rose more than expected in December, while unemployment benefit claims last week rose only moderately.

Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N) kept the Dow in positive territory as its shares gained 2.7 percent to $112. The manufacturer posted a jump in quarterly earnings that far exceeded Wall Street expectations on increased global demand for construction machinery and mining equipment.

The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) gained 11.27 points, or 0.09 percent, to 12,768.23. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (.SPX) dropped 4.26 points, or 0.32 percent, to 1,321.79. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) lost 8.45 points, or 0.30 percent, to 2,809.86.

3M Co (MMM.N), a conglomerate with operations throughout the economy also supported the Dow after it reported higher-than-expected quarterly earnings as demand from industrial and transport markets offset weak sales to makers of consumer electronics. The shares rose 1.4 percent to $87.71.

This is one of the busiest weeks of earnings season, with 117 S&P companies expected to report. According to Thomson Reuters data, 59 percent of the 152 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings beat analysts’ forecasts, down from the 70 percent beat rate in recent quarters at this stage.

AT&T Inc (T.N) posted a $6.7 billion quarterly loss on a break-up fee for its failed T-Mobile USA merger and a pension-related charge on top of costly subsidies for smartphones. The shares fell 2.2 percent to $29.54.

Amgen Inc’s (AMGN.O) shares fell 1.3 percent to $68.30 and weighed on the Nasdaq after the world’s largest biotechnology company said it would pay more than $1 billion to buy Micromet Inc (MITI.O), a deal that would give it access to the company’s novel cancer treatment technology.

Micromet’s shares jumped 31.9 percent to $10.92 and were the most heavily traded on Nasdaq.

(Reporting By Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120126/bs_nm/us_markets_stocks

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America Stressed Out, Overweight and Depressed: Study (ContributorNetwork)

According to the 2011 Stress in America report, released on January 11, 39 percent of the 1,226 Americans who took the American Psychological Association’s online survey report that their stress has increased in the past year. And respondents who reported higher levels of stress were more likely to be obese or suffering from depression.

“The Stress in America survey continues to show a nation at a crossroads when it comes to stress and health,” said psychologist Norman B. Anderson, CEO and executive vice president of the American Psychological Association, in a press release that accompanied the survey. “We are caught in a vicious cycle where our stress exceeds our own definition of what is healthy, and those who are already living with a chronic illness report even higher levels of stress. Yet we’re ill-equipped to make changes to better manage that stress.”

While more adults acknowledge that stress can impact their health, contributing to illnesses such as heart disease, depression and obesity, only 29 percent of respondents felt like they did an excellent or very good job of managing or reducing stress in their lives. The most commonly cited causes of stress for Americans include money problems (75 percent), work (70 percent) and the economy (67 percent). Relationships, family responsibilities, family health problems and personal health concerns were also given by more than half of the respondents as stressors in their lives.

According to the study, slightly more people stated that they relieve stress by listening to music than those who gave exercise as their favorite way to unwind. Those who said spending time with friends and family relieved their stress has declined from 46 percent in 2010 to 38 percent in 2011. More than half (51 percent) of respondents stated that it takes a great amount of time and effort to get their families to exercise and cite lack of motivation as well as work and personal obligations as the reasons they don’t exercise more themselves. Respondents felt that eating well and exercising were less important to a healthy lifestyle than good family relationships and friendships, managing stress, getting enough sleep and doing well at work.

Fewer than half of all men and women feel satisfied with their financial security. Women report higher stress levels than men do, though men are less likely to feel that they are doing excellent or very good at handling personal relationships, eating healthy or getting enough sleep, the study showed. Men are also less likely than women to report that they think psychologists can help them to make lifestyle and behavior changes and more likely to report diagnoses of chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease or heart attack.

The study’s results said Americans living on the East Coast report the most stress and are least able to deal with that stress. Westerners are the healthiest and least likely to have physical issues that are attributed with stress. Most frequent cause of stress in the lives of those living on the East Coast is money, the study showed, while those in the South and West say family responsibilities are stressing them out. However, residents in the West also cite spending time with family and friends as a way to manage stress more often than respondents in other regions. More residents of the East Coast drink alcohol and do yoga, while those in the Midwest and South are more likely to pray during times of stress.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weightloss/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120113/hl_ac/10824341_america_stressed_out_overweight_and_depressed_study

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Global stocks, euro near 7-week lows (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? German government bond yields hit their highest in nearly a month on Thursday and world stocks held near 7-week lows as a weak debt sale the previous day fanned fears the euro zone debt crisis may finally begin to threaten its biggest economy.

The euro was also near 7-week lows as markets eyed a meeting of leaders from France, Germany and Italy for any signs of cracks in Berlin’s resistance to stronger action to end the two-year old crisis.

Repercussions from the auction — where bids fell well short of the 6 billion euros on offer — extended into a second day, with Bund futures falling 115 ticks on the day to 134.66, the lowest since October 31.

Ten-year German government bond yields rose as high as 2.12 percent in early trade.

Investors were reluctant to buy riskier assets even after eight consecutive sessions of losses for world stocks which should make prices attractive.

“A lot of people are still cautious with regards to the uptick and it could prove rather temporary as the backdrop is still difficult,” Keith Bowman, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said.

“Events in Europe are still dominating and the German bond auction yesterday just added another level of caution.”

MSCI world equity index was steady on the day. The index has fallen 15 percent since January.

European stocks were also broadly unchanged on the day while emerging stocks rose 0.1 percent.

U.S. crude oil rose half a percent to $96.60 a barrel.

The euro was up 0.1 percent at $1.3363, having fallen as low as $1.3318 on Wednesday.

“If Germany has to pay higher costs for its borrowing, it’s obvious it cannot help the entire euro zone. If German bond yields keep rising, that could even be a trigger for break-up of the euro,” said Makoto Noji, senior strategist at SMBC Nikko Securities.

The dollar fell a quarter percent against a basket of major currencies.

(Editing by Patrick Graham)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111124/bs_nm/us_markets_global

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